Professor CHEN Wei (National University of Singapore) holds the Provost's Chair Professorship (2023-2026) and serves as Vice-Dean (Research) with joint appointments in the Departments of Chemistry and Physics. His research focuses on molecular-scale interface engineering for 2D materials-based devices and interface-controlled nanocatalysis in energy/environmental applications. PhD in Material Science, NUS (2004) Lee Kuan Yew Research Fellow (2006-2008) Established Surface and Interface Lab (2009) Director, NUS Research Institute (Fuzhou) His work on 2D optoelectronic memory (Nat. Comm. 2018), Kagome lattice design (Nano Lett. 2020), and single-atom catalysis (Nat. Comm. 2021) has been recognized by multiple high-impact publications and the Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher status (2017-2021). Awards include the NRF Investigatorship (2023) , Mitsui Chemicals-SNIC Industry Award (2020) , and Singapore Young Scientist Award (2012) . Grants from NUS, Singapore MOE, CREATE/CRP programs, and A*STAR support his exploration of interface engineering for neuromorphic computing and energy-efficient nanocatalysts . Current projects include monolayer blue phosphorus synthesis and solid electrolyte interphase engineering for lithium batteries.
Karen I. Winey serves as the Harold Pender Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Her research group employs experimental and computational tools to investigate advanced polymers for energy applications, particularly focusing on proton and ion conductivity for fuel cells and batteries within the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM). Dr. Winey's research encompasses: Designing functional polymers to improve proton, hydroxide, and ion conductivity Studying polymer nanocomposites and nanoparticle dynamics in electrochemical devices Developing polymer-to-polymer upcycling methods to convert waste polyolefins to higher value polymers Revolutionizing understanding of ionomer morphologies beyond traditional spherical aggregate models Her recent publications reveal significant advances in sustainable energy materials, particularly fluorine-free alternatives to conventional polymer electrolytes. The research spans fundamental studies of ion transport mechanisms in precisely engineered polymers to practical applications in energy devices. A critical focus is understanding how nanoscale morphology affects macroscopic properties, with particular attention to structure-property relationships in ion-conducting polymers for fuel cells and batteries. Scientific recognition includes: 2025 Turner J. Alfrey Visiting Professor Harold Pender Professorship (endowed chair) NSF DMR Polymers grant awarded July 2025 Dr. Winey actively mentors a diverse research group including PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduates. Her lab recently welcomed six summer undergraduates and has celebrated numerous student achievements including qualifying exam successes and award-winning presentations. Current major projects include the Port5 collaboration and the PolyUp project focused on polymer upcycling through dehydrogenation and functionalization strategies. The Winey Group operates within Penn's state-of-the-art Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST), maintaining active collaborations with institutions including the University of Konstanz in Germany, Florida State University, and Michigan State University. The group regularly hosts international visitors and participates in major conferences including the APS Global Physics Summit.
Wojciech Matusik is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). He leads the Computational Design and Fabrication Group and is a member of the Computer Graphics Group. His research spans computer graphics, robotics, and AI-driven manufacturing, with a focus on computational design, tactile sensing, and material science. Matusik holds a PhD in Computer Science from MIT (2003), an MS from MIT (2001), and a BS from UC Berkeley (1997). His work includes groundbreaking projects like differentiable cloth simulation (DiffCloth), AI-enhanced molecular design, and tactile sensing gloves. He has received prestigious awards such as the MIT TR35 (2004), DARPA Young Faculty Award (2012), and Ruth and Joel Spira Teaching Award (2014). Matusik teaches courses on computer graphics, machine learning, and computational fabrication at MIT. Key research themes include: Robotics: Robotic assembly, tactile interaction, and soft robotics Graphics: 3D holography, procedural material generation Manufacturing: Additive fabrication, topology optimization His recent articles explore AI-driven molecular synthesis, holographic displays, and tactile-enabled VR systems. Matusik collaborates on open-source tools like the WiReSens tactile platform and Simit language for sparse systems.
Subhransu Maji is an Associate Professor in the Manning College of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the co-director of the Computer Vision Lab. He is also affiliated with the Center for Data Science and holds a part-time role as an Amazon Scholar. His research focuses on high-level visual recognition algorithms and interdisciplinary applications in ecology and astronomy. He has received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2018), Best Paper at WACV 2015, and the Google Graduate Fellowship (2008). Education: PhD in Computer Science from UC Berkeley (2011), BTech from IIT Kanpur (2006). Prior roles include Research Assistant Professor at Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago (2012-2014). Research Interests: Computer Vision Machine Learning AI Applications in Ecology and Astronomy 3D Shape Understanding Climate Science Grants and Funding: Supported by NSF, NASA, Climate Change AI, and industry grants from Facebook, NVIDIA, Adobe, and Dolby. Current projects include satellite imagery analysis for ecology and material science applications using deep learning. Labs and Teams: Leads the Computer Vision Lab, collaborates with interdisciplinary teams on ecological monitoring (e.g., bird migration tracking via radar data) and material property prediction (e.g., zeolite adsorption modeling).
Prof. Dr. Cemal Ulutaş is a faculty member at Hakkari University , affiliated with the Faculty of Education in the Department of Mathematics and Science Education . He also holds administrative and advisory roles across multiple institutions: Dean of the Faculty of Education Board Member at Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Fine Arts Coordinator at Education and Training Coordination Office Chairman of the Academic Evaluation and Quality Improvement Board Advisory Board Member at Career Development Application and Research Center His research focuses on materials science with an emphasis on thin film technology , particularly metal sulfides and oxides . He investigates structural, electrical, optical, and physical properties of films like γ-MnS, CuS, SnS, and Mn 3 O 4 , using methods such as chemical bath deposition and post-deposition annealing . Current projects examine the impact of variables like molar concentration, bath temperature, and substrate choice on thin film behavior. Recent publications (2010–2023) highlight systematic studies on metal chalcogenide thin films , including concentration gradients, substrate interactions, and thermal stability. Experimental techniques span X-ray diffraction , UV-Vis spectroscopy , and electrical resistivity measurements . Notably, his work bridges fundamental material science with applied engineering challenges, such as optimizing evaporative cooling systems in a 2010 study. As a thesis advisor, he has guided 2 graduate students . His academic contributions are documented in Google Scholar (10 citations, H-Index 620), Scopus (24 publications, H-Index 480), and Web of Science (15 citations, H-Index 9).
Rana Hanocka is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Chicago, leading the 3DL research group focused on AI-driven 3D geometry processing. She earned her Ph.D. in 2021 from Tel Aviv University under Professors Daniel Cohen-Or and Raja Giryes. Her work explores neural networks for unstructured 3D data, including mesh convolutional networks and self-priors for shape reconstruction. Key research areas include geometric deep learning, human-AI collaboration in 3D modeling, and interpretable neural networks. Notable contributions include MeshCNN (SIGGRAPH 2019) and Point2Mesh (NeurIPS 2020), advancing mesh analysis and point cloud processing. Awards include the 2023 Pazy Research Award and 2020 Rising Star in EECS. Education : Ph.D. Computer Science, Tel Aviv University (2021) Labs/Groups : 3DL Group at UChicago Grants : NSF Grant for AI-driven 3D modeling tools (2023) Research directions emphasize creative human-AI partnerships, unsupervised learning from shape collections, and explainable 3D neural networks. Ongoing projects include style-aware 3D synthesis, interactive segmentation, and multimodal shape interfaces.
Professor Harry E. Ruda holds the Stanley Meek Chair in Advanced Nanotechnology at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. He directs the Centre for Advanced Nanotechnology and leads the Electronic-Photonic Materials Group. His research spans semiconductor nanostructures, focusing on nanoelectronics and nanophotonics, with notable contributions to nanowire growth, quantum transport, and plasmonic effects. Education: B.Sc. in Physics, Imperial College London Ph.D. in Physics, MIT His research interests include: Semiconductor nanowire growth via VLS process Quantum transport and spintronics Nonlinear optical effects in quantum dots/nanowires Surface state control through passivation Photonic crystal structures for optical devices Carrier dynamics in low-dimensional systems Recent publications highlight advancements in InAs nanowire sensors, Coulomb impurity effects, photonic crystal design, and hybrid superconducting/semiconductor devices. His work bridges fundamental electron dynamics and applied quantum technologies. Scientific Awards: Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering Fellow, Royal Society of Canada Fellow, Institute of Physics (UK) Fellow, Institute of Nanotechnology Fellow, Institution of Engineering and Technology Fellow, Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering Teaching: MSE335: Materials Physics MSE490: Professional Ethics and Practice MSE1023: Quantum Transport
Prof. Olga Sorkine Hornung is a Full Professor of Computer Science at ETH Zürich, leading the Interactive Geometry Lab. She holds a BSc and PhD from Tel Aviv University (2000 and 2006) and conducted postdoctoral research at Technical University Berlin. Her research focuses on computer graphics, geometric modeling, and geometry processing, with applications in shape editing, digital fabrication, and animation. She has received numerous accolades, including the ACM Fellowship (2020), ERC Consolidator Grant (2020), and the Golden Owl Teaching Award (2021). Her work bridges theoretical foundations and practical algorithms, addressing challenges in parameterization, surface compression, and interactive design tools. Her research interests span: Computer Graphics & Visualization Geometric Modeling & Processing 3D Content Creation & Digital Fabrication Garment Design & Simulation Human Motion Analysis & Animation Awards and grants include: 2024: Best Paper Honorable Mention (EUROGRAPHICS) 2023: Member of Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW) 2020: ERC Consolidator Grant 2017: Rössler Prize (ETH Zurich) Her lab focuses on developing novel methods for interactive geometry processing, with recent advancements in garment modeling (e.g., AIpparel, Rags2Riches) and motion retargeting systems like WalkTheDog. She actively collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, including biomedical applications and sustainable fashion technology.
Professor Todd Squires is a distinguished faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, within the Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering. His research focuses on the fundamental principles of transport phenomena as applied to interfaces, membranes, and complex fluids, employing theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches to address significant challenges in micro-scale fluid mechanics. Dr. Squires' educational background includes: BS in Physics, UCLA (1995) BA in Russian Language and Literature, UCLA (1995) PhD in Physics, Harvard University (2002) His research interests span microfluidics and electrokinetics, active and nonlinear microrheology of complex materials, polymer dynamics and sensors, with particular emphasis on non-linear electrokinetic flows, interfacial rheology, and the self-assembly of nanostructured materials. His work bridges fundamental fluid mechanics with practical applications in microfluidic devices, energy storage, and biomedical systems, demonstrating the versatility of this fascinating field. Analysis of Professor Squires' recent publications reveals a consistent focus on interfacial phenomena, with particular attention to the rheological properties of fluid interfaces, particle dynamics in complex fluids, and novel microfluidic techniques for measuring and manipulating these systems. His research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between chemical engineering, physics, and materials science, with applications spanning energy storage, biomedical engineering, and environmental systems. Professor Squires has received numerous prestigious awards and honors: 2018 Robert W. Vaughan Lecture in Chemical Engineering, Caltech 2015 Elected Fellow of the American Physical Society 2013 Mid-Career Award, American Electrophoresis Society 2012 The Dudley Saville Memorial Lecture at Princeton 2010 Pierre Gilles de Gennes Prize 2010 Allan P. Colburn Memorial Lectureship, University of Delaware 2009 Francois Frenkiel Award for Fluid Mechanics 2009 Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award 2008 Beckman Young Investigator 2007 NSF CAREER Award 2005 'Rising Star' - Chronicle of Higher Education As principal investigator of the Squires Group, Professor Squires leads a dynamic research team that combines experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to investigate transport phenomena at interfaces. His work has been supported by major funding agencies including the National Science Foundation, with his CAREER award indicating early recognition of his potential as both researcher and educator. While specific grant details aren't provided in the source material, his extensive publication record and prestigious awards suggest robust and sustained research funding. The Squires Group maintains state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for studying micro-scale fluid mechanics, including specialized equipment for microrheology measurements, microfluidic device fabrication, and interfacial characterization. Their research environment fosters collaboration across disciplines, with connections to materials science, physics, and biomedical engineering researchers at UCSB and beyond.
Andrés Buxó-Lugo serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University at Buffalo, where he directs the Language Processing and Computation Lab. His research investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying language production, comprehension, and acquisition with a specialized focus on speech prosody—the rhythm, intonation, and intensity patterns in speech—and their role in human communication. His primary research interests include psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, speech prosody, language production, language comprehension, language acquisition, and computational linguistics. He examines how listeners integrate diverse linguistic cues during speech processing, how individuals learn unfamiliar constructions like non-native pronunciations or novel prosodic patterns, and the cognitive basis of durational changes in speech. His work also explores how communicative context shapes prosodic production and how higher-level linguistic information aids prosodic structure parsing. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2019-2025) reveals consistent interdisciplinary work bridging cognitive science, linguistics, and computational modeling. Key trends include phonological representation studies, speech planning mechanisms, intonation adaptation across talkers, lexical representation structures, and the integration of input expectations in syntactic parsing. His research demonstrates significant methodological diversity, incorporating experimental paradigms, computational modeling, and acoustic analysis to unravel language processing complexities. As director of the Language Processing and Computation Lab at the University at Buffalo, Buxó-Lugo leads research initiatives focused on developing computational models of language processing while investigating the cognitive foundations of speech and prosody through empirical experimentation and theoretical innovation.
Prof. Dr. Björn Corzilius is a University Professor (W2) of Physical Chemistry at the University of Rostock, Germany, leading the Corzilius group. His research focuses on solid-state NMR spectroscopy, dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP), and applications in biomolecules and materials. He holds affiliations with the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) and serves on multiple academic boards, including the transregional Collaborative Research Center TRR 386 and the journal Magnetic Resonance . Education: 1999: Studies of Chemistry, TU Darmstadt 2005: Diploma in Physical Chemistry (TU Darmstadt) 2008: Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry (TU Darmstadt) Research Interests: Solid-state NMR, DNP for sensitivity enhancement, paramagnetic metal ions, biomolecular dynamics, and method development. His work bridges theoretical and experimental approaches to advance structural and functional studies of complex systems like proteins, nucleic acids, and catalytic materials. Recent Article Trends: Focus on DNP applications in biomolecular interfaces, novel polarizing agents (e.g., Gd(III) complexes), and methodological advancements like serial polarization transfer and electron-decoupled DNP. Contributions span inorganic chemistry, materials science, and biophysical systems. Awards: Emmy Noether Fellowship (2012) Felix Bloch Lecture (2016) Regitze M. Vold Memorial Prize (2017) Best Ph.D. Supervision (2018) Grants & Labs: Principal Investigator of the Emmy Noether Group (2013–2019), now leading the DNP research team at the University of Rostock. Collaborates closely with LIKAT on catalytic and materials projects. His group actively develops open-access publishing platforms like Magnetic Resonance and hosts international conferences. Labs/Teams: The Corzilius group at the Institute of Chemistry (Rostock) specializes in NMR method development and applications. Associated with LIKAT for interdisciplinary catalysis research.
Sebastian Scherer is an Associate Research Professor at the Robotics Institute (RI), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), where he leads cutting-edge research in autonomous aerial systems and robotics. His work focuses on enabling unmanned rotorcraft to operate safely and efficiently in cluttered, low-altitude, and extreme environments. Education: Ph.D. in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2010) MS in Robotics, Carnegie Mellon University (2007) BS in Computer Science (Minor in Robotics), Carnegie Mellon University (2004) His research interests span robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, SLAM, visual-inertial odometry, energy infrastructure, and public policy . He has made seminal contributions to UAV autonomy, including the first obstacle avoidance for micro aerial vehicles in natural environments (2008) and the first automatic landing zone detection and landing on a full-size helicopter (2010). His recent publications (2023–2025) demonstrate a strong focus on resilient autonomy, multi-robot exploration, foundation models for robotics, and large-scale dataset development. His team has released key datasets like TartanGround , BETTY , and SubT-MRS , and simulation tools like Pegasus Simulator , indicating a systems-level approach to advancing real-world autonomy. The research trends emphasize self-supervised learning, robust perception, risk-aware planning, and multi-modal fusion for off-road and urban environments. Scientific Awards: Popular Science Best of What's New 2010 Award AIAA@Infotech Best Paper Runner-up Award (2010) Siebel Scholar Dr. Scherer has advised numerous students and leads a vibrant research group focused on high-impact robotics applications. He has secured significant grants related to UAV autonomy, energy infrastructure, and urban air mobility. His lab develops experimental infrastructure such as AIrTonomy for testing next-generation autonomous aerial vehicles. He is actively involved in advancing SLAM and localization in extreme environments, notably through participation in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. His team develops large-scale datasets and benchmarking frameworks to push the boundaries of robustness and generalization in mobile robotics.
Tapio Schneider is the Theodore Y. Wu Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at the California Institute of Technology. His research focuses on atmospheric dynamics across Earth and other planets, climate modeling innovations, and geophysical turbulence analysis. He contributes to the Climate Modeling Alliance (CliMA) and develops advanced computational tools for climate prediction. Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (Vordiplom, 1993) Princeton University (M.Sc. 1997, Ph.D. 2001) University of Washington, Seattle (Visiting Graduate Student, 1994-1995) His research spans climate dynamics , atmospheric turbulence , and AI-enhanced climate modeling , addressing challenges in cloud dynamics, extreme weather patterns, and planetary climate systems. Current work emphasizes hybrid machine learning-physical models and computational acceleration for high-resolution simulations. Recent publications highlight trends in AI integration for climate science, with applications in hydrology , cloud microphysics , ocean circulation , snowpack modeling , and climate tipping points . His team develops open-source tools like ClimateMachine for GPU-accelerated simulations. Scientific Recognition: Fellow, American Geophysical Union (2022) Rosenstiel Award (2019) World Economic Forum Young Scientist (2012) David and Lucile Packard Fellow (2005-2010) Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellow (2004-2006) Tapio leads climate dynamics research at Caltech, directs the Linde Center for Global Environmental Science (2011-2012), and serves as Editor for the Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems . His group collaborates with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2016-2024) and Google Research (2022-present).
Pierre Vandergheynst is a Full Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) in the Department of Electrical Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in Computer and Communication Sciences. He serves as EPFL’s Vice-Provost for Education since 2015 and leads the Signal Processing Laboratory 2 (LTS2). His research spans harmonic analysis, sparse approximations, mathematical data processing, and applications in signal/image processing, computer vision, machine learning, and graph-based data analysis. PhD in Mathematical Physics (1998), Université catholique de Louvain Postdoctoral Researcher at EPFL (1998-2001) Assistant Professor at EPFL (2002-2007) His research explores geometry/symmetry in high-dimensional data, redundant dictionaries for dimensionality reduction, and computational harmonic analysis on manifolds. Recent work focuses on protein structure modeling, geometric deep learning, and graph-based signal processing. Key article trends include graph neural networks for protein analysis, geometric deep learning in neuroscience, and structured knowledge priors in neural models. His 2023-2025 publications emphasize interpretable AI, long-range dependencies in graphs, and molecular representation learning. Scientific Awards: IEEE Signal Processing Magazine Best Paper Award (2023) Signal Processing Society Best Paper Award (2022) Apple ARTS Award (2007) De Boelpaepe Prize, Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium (2009-2010) He has supervised over 30 PhD theses and contributed to foundational work in graph signal processing, compressive sensing, and geometric deep learning. His lab develops tools for data science on non-Euclidean structures, with applications in medicine, astronomy, and wireless systems.
Chris G. Van de Walle is the Herbert Kroemer Distinguished Professor in the Department of Materials at the University of California, Santa Barbara's College of Engineering. As a member of the National Academy of Engineering and fellow of multiple prestigious scientific societies including the American Physical Society and Materials Research Society, he leads the Computational Materials Group which is part of UCSB's strong computational science cluster within the Materials Department. His research interests focus on novel electronic materials, particularly wide-band-gap semiconductors (III-V nitrides, II-VI compounds), transparent conductors, complex oxides, loss mechanisms in light emitters, two-dimensional conductors, quantum information science, and the physics and chemistry of hydrogen interactions with solids. His group uses first-principles computational techniques to study atomic and electronic structure of crystalline, polycrystalline and amorphous materials, interfaces, surfaces, defects, and heterojunctions. Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on semiconductor materials for quantum technologies, with particular emphasis on GaN, Ga 2 O 3 , and related compounds. His work combines computational materials science with applications in optoelectronics, quantum information, and energy technologies, demonstrating consistent innovation in understanding defects and their role in material properties. Major Awards and Recognitions: Aneesur Rahman Prize for Computational Physics (APS) Materials Theory Award (MRS) Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship (DoD) John Bardeen Award (TMS) Medard W. Welch Award (AVS) Highly Cited Researcher (Clarivate Analytics) Professor Van de Walle has mentored numerous successful researchers, including Dr. Fangzhou Zhao (Corbett Prize winner) and Dr. Mark Turiansky (APS Nicholas Metropolis Award recipient). His group maintains strong connections with the UCSB Quantum Foundry and the Solid State Lighting and Energy Electronics Center, demonstrating collaborative research efforts across multiple disciplines. The group actively investigates defects for quantum information science, loss mechanisms in light emitters, nitride semiconductors, halide perovskites, oxides, and hydrogen interactions with materials.
